Open Wounds
by RFTA
Summary: **Apollo Justice Spoilers.** It is often said that given time, all wounds will eventually heal. Yet some wounds run too deep, and will never heal....
1. Prologue

Open Wounds.

It is often said that given time, all wounds will eventually heal. Yet some wounds run too deep, and will never heal....

Disclaimer: I do not own the Ace Attorney series or any of it's characters.

Prologue.

Kristoph Gavin only dimly recognised his own insane laugh as it echoed around the Courtroom. The rest of the court stood in silence, afraid to interrupt that crazed sound. A dim, distant part of Kristoph's mind was shocked at his own unseemingly behaviour, but at the same time almost enjoying that for once in his life, he could just open up and let all that emotion, bottled up and hidden away for years flood out, enveloping him, and all those around him.....

When his laughter finally subsided, after what had seemed like hours, he turned around, extended his arms towards the waiting police, a warm smile on his face, willingly allowing a timid police officer to step forward and snap the handcuffs on his wrists, and lead him back towards the courtroom doors. ...

_Two Months Later._

After eight months of solitary confinement, Kristoph had almost grown used to living in a tiny room with only his books and violin for company. They provided him with a more than welcome relief from the present. His trial at the higher court, the only change in his now ever monotonous schedule, was not due to be held for another three months, the second sentencing of an already convicted criminal was not considered a priority in their legal system.

Second conviction. How quickly things could change. Nine months earlier, Kristoph Gavin was known only as the best defence attorney in the state, the "coolest defence attorney in the west". Years of work, years of _planning,_and in a couple of hours, he went from the infamous defence attorney, to common, cold blooded killer. Not that his plans had gone _entirely_ astray, and wasn't the very definition of risk that sometimes it paid off, and sometimes it didn't? Or in this case, a bit of both.

Kristoph sighed, and removed a book from his expensive, high quality bookcase. He threw a quick glance at the guard standing by the door as he did so. Kristoph, with his natural and easy charm, had quickly made friends among the guards of the prison almost as soon as he'd been incarcerated. This guard was not among those Kristoph had befriended, but even so, Kristoph was an easy prisoner to watch over, and it was clear that Kristoph's almost mindless obedience to the prison guards had lulled this guard into a sense of security.

Kristoph settled himself into his chair, opened his book, and began to read. He had only managed to read several pages though, when he heard the sound of heavy, fast footsteps approaching. He closed his book and placed it carefully on the table before looking up. His face broke into a smile....


	2. Chapter One

_Kristoph is eight._

Kristoph gasped with delight, applauding as hard as he could as his elder cousin straightened up.

"You like that, Kris?" Eir asked.

"Oh, yes! I can see how much you've improved!" Kristoph replied with sincere, rare enthusiasm. Eir averted his eyes, in a credible imitation of modesty, before allowing his normal confident smile to creep back onto his face.

Eir Lajeen, Kristoph's cousin on his mother's side. Nine years older than Kristoph, full of laughter and jokes, it sometimes seemed as though their personalities were as different as their looks, despite their shared blood. Although both had a pale complexion, Eir's shoulder length, ungroomed deep brown hair, and dark green eyes were a stark contrast to Kristoph's short blond hair, and blue eyes.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Kris." Eir said. His mouth twitched, as though he intended to say something else. Kristoph waited for a moment, but Eir just smiled at him.

"So, how's your mother?" Eir abruptly changed the subject. Kristoph frowned. He knew it was unlikely that Eir had any concern for his mother.

"Mother is fine." Kristoph replied. "She's....she's looking forward to the birth."

Not a lie. Not exactly.

"Not much longer to wait now." Eir said, an odd note in his voice.

"Not long." Kristoph echoed, with the slightest hesitation. Eir threw Kristoph an unreadable look, but didn't say anything. A moment of awkward silence passed between them. Neither Kristoph or Eir liked to discuss their family. Hide the family flaws, even from each other.

It had always been this way, Kristoph's home, his life, was, on the surface, perfect. An illusion of perfection that all Gavin's strove to maintain, but below that polished, flawless surface, was nothing but ice. Appearances, and respectability were all that mattered. Nothing else. Parental love, past maintaining the illusion, certainly did not matter. Kristoph did not lead a happy life, but he coped fairly well, sheltered away from the world outside his home, and his endless stream of expensive, private tutors, he had never thought of his life as unusual.

Until two years ago, when he had first met Eir.

It had been a fairly ordinary family gathering at first. The adults stood around making polite, meaningless talk, while Kristoph stood beside his parents, attempting to mask his boredom, when surveying the garden, his eyes met Eir's, and straight away he was fascinated by him. He remembered Eir smiling at him, not just turning his mouth up, the type of smile that he had seen so often from his parents, but a smile that reached his eyes, and lit up his whole face.

Kristoph had then spent two hours trying to escape from his parents, and as soon as he'd managed it, he'd immediately taken his chance to introduce himself to Eir, and the two had spent the rest of the gathering in easy conversation.

Kristoph's time with Eir had not gone unnoticed by his parents, but refined as they were, they refused to make a scene in front of the prying ears and eyes of their relatives, choosing instead to wait until all three of them were safely at home. The scolding that followed seemed to last an eternity, before finishing with them unconditionally forbidding Kristoph from ever speaking to Eir again. And Kristoph, even at the age of six, was already more than experienced in telling people, especially his parents exactly what they wanted to hear, promised, without protest, already aware that he would never keep that promise.

At the age of seven, Kristoph's parents finally allowed him to walk around the block alone, believing that seven was an adequate age for a child to walk around a block of houses alone, without aspersions being cast upon the child's parents, Kristoph immediately made his way to the disused hall where Eir had mentioned he spent a lot of free time. Used to. It had been over a year since Kristoph had met Eir. He had kept an eye out for Eir at the three family events since their first meeting, but Eir had not made an appearance at any of them.

Eir wasn't at the hall. Kristoph returned home, but refused to give up. Every day, after his tutoring, Kristoph visited the hall, hoping to find Eir, and finally, almost two weeks later, he had crept into the hall to find Eir there. Kristoph was happy to discover that Eir still remembered him, and they had spent a good hour talking, catching up. Then, the conversation had gone quiet, and Eir asked Kristoph if his parents knew where he was. Kristoph had promptly lied, but Eir had seen straight through it. He had knelt down to Kristoph's level, staring into Kristoph's eyes, and spoke very softly, and very seriously. Then Eir had gotten to his feet, and started telling Kristoph a joke.

Kristoph had never forgotten what Eir had said to him that day. It had left a deeper impression that anything his parents or tutors had ever said to him, and Kristoph knew, that even if he tried to forget Eir's words, he wouldn't be able to.....

And Kristoph's eyes had finally been opened, and he'd begun to realise that his life was not a reflection of the world outside his house.

Kristoph, with the ease of long practice, carefully masked his discomfort from Eir. He had a strong disliking of tense silences, and his ability to detect tension belied his eight years of age. He wanted to ask Eir what was bothering him, but he was wary of asking anyone, even Eir, a direct question.

"Eir....." Kristoph began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Eir smiled.

"Nothing," Kristoph muttered, feeling his nerve slip away. Eir raised his eyebrows, but before he could say anything, the distant chime of church bells reached their ears. Eir tilted his head, listening to the chimes ring and fade, before checking his watch.

"Man, it's a lot later than I thought. You'd better get back home, Kris."

"I should." Kristoph reluctantly agreed.

"I'll walk you part of the way," Eir offered, as he always did. Of course, Eir could only walk Kristoph part of the way. They couldn't risk being seen in each other's company.

Kristoph and Eir set off at a measured pace, Eir making sure that Kristoph could keep up with him. It wasn't a long walk back to Kristoph's home, and Kristoph often wondered if that was part of the reason why Eir favoured the hall. Though Eir tried not to make it obvious, Kristoph was in no doubt that Eir held just as low an opinion of his parents, as his parents held of Eir.

As they reached the street corner where Eir always left Kristoph, the friendly chatter between them fizzled out for the second time that day. Kristoph always became quiet when that street corner came into view, for him, it was a physical gateway back to loneliness, but Eir, who understood, and respected Kristoph's mood usually upheld the conversation by himself. Usually.

"Kris....I'm sorry." Eir suddenly said, coming to a stop.

"For what?" Kristoph asked, puzzled. Not only by the question, but by the uncharacteristically serious expression on Eir's face, and his somewhat odd behaviour through out the day.

"Ah....it's nothing. Sorry." Eir replied. He smiled, although this time, his smile seemed different in a way Kristoph couldn't decipher.

"I'll see you soon?" Eir ruffled Kristoph's hair. Kristoph smiled, but discreetly tried to duck away, he wasn't used to, or comfortable with, physical signs of affection. Eir gave Kristoph one last smile, before turning, and quickly walking away. Kristoph watched until Eir was out of sight, still uneasy.

Turning the corner, it wasn't long before Kristoph reached the front path of his imposing house. Walking down it, towards the front door, Kristoph fully intended to escape to his room, and spend the rest of the day there, like he often did, but as he opened the front door, he knew that luxury wouldn't be open to him. At least not for a while...

His mother was waiting for him.


End file.
